The time of year when all the ‘back to school’ ads are on TV, and you realize that they are no longer excessively early.

This is the time of year where you look at your summer bucket list and realize how much there is still left on it.

What’s worse is I’ve already noticed some yellowing leaves on the trees around Calgary. Seriously!? Now that actually seems preemptive to me.

Rather than get down in the dumps about the rapidly approaching fall, I’ve decided to try and cram as many summery recipes as I can into the last few weeks of August.

Are you ready? Here we go…

First up are these beautiful key lime cupcakes. What is more summery than key lime?

When I was an undergrad, I used to go and visit my grandparents in Florida for Spring Break. That is Spring Break, not “Spring Break…WooHoo!” for those of you Friends fans 😉 (As in the type of Spring Break where you play shuffleboard, not party with MTV).

Anyways, it was always such a great trip because I got to know my grandparents a little better (they live all the way across the country), and because there was always, always key lime pie.

I am a huuuuge key lime pie fan.

But this time, I wanted to mix it up a little.

These cupcakes are much more subtle in the key lime department than key lime pie. They are moist, and delicate, with a hint of key lime.

They are topped with an exquisite, fluffy, delicious white chocolate frosting, and sprinkled with salted pistachios.

You are going to have to fight off the masses for these cupcakes, because they won’t last for long!

A summery cupcake recipe that combines zesty key lime with creamy white chocolate and is topped with salted pistachios.

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 18

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

¾ cups butter (softened)

1¾ cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons key lime zest

3 eggs

¼ cup key lime juice

3 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1½ cup buttermilk

Frosting

⅔ cups white chocolate chips

⅓ cup whipping cream

½ cup butter (softened)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3½ cups icing sugar

⅓ cup pistachios (shells removed, coarsely chopped)

Instructions

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, and lime zest until light and fluffy. Add eggs and lime juice and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture, mix well, then add ½ the buttermilk and mix well. Continue to add in alternating portions until all buttermilk and flour is added and mixed well.

Spoon into muffin paper-lined muffin pans, filling until almost full (they won't rise too much). Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool 10 minutes in muffin pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

Combine white chocolate chips and whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stirring to combine in between. You will need to repeat this 3-4 times, or until the cream-chocolate mixture is completely combined and smooth. Allow to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, beat together cream-chocolate mixture with butter and vanilla until completely mixed. Add icing sugar one cup at a time, until frosting is light and fluffy.

Ice cupcakes using a knife or an icing bag fitted with a 1-inch star tip.

This is really great flavor combo, and the cupcakes look so pretty.
I’ve featured them on my blog, hoping that you don’t mind, but if you do, please contact me and I’ll remove it. All the best.Vera Zecevic – Cupcakes Garden recently posted…Jane’s Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecakes

Hi Judy, I am so sorry for taking so long to reply to your comment. I have a 4 month old who won’t nap! I always weigh my butter, so the weight of the butter would be 170g (for the cupcakes) and 113g for the frosting. The cake flour I fluffed, spooned and leveled but did not weigh. I hope this helps!

These look delicious. What is the frosting consistency? Is it good and thick or does it melt easy? I’m usually uneasy when it comes to whipped cream frostings… I’m thinking of using it as a cake filling/frosting.

Hey Vern! I haven’t had any problems seeing the photos on different computers/iPads/smartphones, or on Firefox/chrome…I will check on safari later. Is it just on this post or others as well? Sorry you’re having problems!

Thj s looks a solely dreamy. I can’t wait to give family and friends a different taste. I am always known as the sweet mama. All my children’s friend call me mama and are always over and raiding the kitchen for my sweets. I am having a problem with Pintrest not being able to pin you. I had to hand copy your recipe. Basically it is unable to pull up a picture to tag the pin. If that made any since.

Hi Heather…I mean the sweet mama 😉 Thanks so much for letting me know about the Pinterest problem! Maybe you could help me troubleshoot? Are you on your mobile/pinterest/tablet? And are you using the ‘pin it’ button on the top of the page, the bottom of the page, or the one bookmarked in your browser? If you ever want to print the recipe, there is a print button on the card so you shouldn’t need to copy anything by hand.